Portable horizontal earth drilling tool



March 24, 1959 c, EDWARDS g-r 2,879,033

I PORTABLE HORIZQNTAL EARTH DRILLING TOOL Filed April 12, 1955 3Sheets-Sheet l INVENTORS mjfipmr.

A'ITCI RN EYS March 24, 1959 -E. C. EDWARDS ETAL 2,

, PORTABLE HORIZONTAL EARTH DRILLING TOOL Filed April 12, 1955 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 III III].

ATTD RN EYS March 24, 1959 E. c. EDWARDS 517 AL 2,879,033

PORTABLE HORIZONTAL'EARTH DRILLING TOOL Filed April 12, 1955 3Sheets-Sheet 3 2,879,033 PORTABLE HORIZOTNESIIJ EARTH DRILLING Thisinvention relates to horizontal earth drilling machines particularlydesigned for drilling horizontal open- United States Patent-O ings understreets, highways, railroads, and the like for small pipes, such as usedin service lines, and in particular a tool in which the operatinginstrumentalities are mounted on a traveling carriage designed to slideon a base frame with the carriage actuated by a feed H screw fixedlymounted in the frame and with a drill bit carried on an extended end ofa tube, and in which the tube on which the drill bit is carried and acollar positioned on the feed screw are rotated by power means on thecarriage with limit switches and other controls mounted on the frame andpositioned to be engaged by elements extended from the carriage.

The purpose of this invention is to provide a portable horizontallydisposed earth drilling tool that is designed to be readily set up foruse for drilling service lines below streets, highways, railroads andthe like and wherein the tool is so designed that it may readily bemoved from "one position to another.

Various attempts have been made to drill openings -below streets,highways, railroad beds and the like, particularly for culverts, servicelines, and the like, however, such machines use conventional augers and"it has been found difficult, and substantially impossible to drill anopen hole through relatively loose dirt with a conventional auger. Withthis thought in mind this invention contemplates an earth boring toolhaving a drill 1 bit or head on the extended end of a tube wherein withthe drill bit having carbide cutting edges it will drill a hole for aservice line such as a pipe for gas, water, sewerage, and the likethrough the ground, through rock, concrete walls, and other obstructionswhereby with one operation, an opening is provided for a service linefrom one side of a street to another and below foundations I of thepaving of highways and the like.

The object of this invention is, therefore, to provide ing or holeimmediately.

Another object of the invention is to provide a portable' drill forextending service lines below streets, highways,

railroads'and the like in which the speed of the cutting bit or head andalso of the feed therefor are readily adjustable.

A further object of the invention is to provide a portable'device forextending service lines below streets, highways, and the like'in whichthe device is of a simple and economical construction.

With these and other objects and advantages in view,

:the invention embodies a substantially rectangular-shaped frame having.bearings for rotatably mounting a screw feed therein, a carriagemounted on the frame and adapted to .travel longitudinally thereof, atubular shaft rotatably mounted-on the carriage, a pipe extended fromthe tubular shaft and, having a .drill bit or head on-theex- 2,879,033Piented Mar. 24, tees ice tended end, a supply tube for fluid underpressure extended from the tube rotatably mounted on the carriage andconnected through said tube to the pipe and drill head, a power unitpositioned on the carriage, and transmission elements having clutchesand reduction gears therein for operatively connecting the tubular shaftand screw feed to the power unit. i I

Otherfeatures and advantages of the invention will appear from thefollowing description, taken in connection with the drawings, wherein: p9

Figure 1 is a side elevational view illustrating the-improved portabledrill with parts of a side element broken away to show the mounting ofthe screw feed in the frame of the device.

Figure 2 is a plan view of the improved portable drill.

Figure 3 is a cross section through the drill, taken on line 3-3 ofFigure 1, illustrating the drive for the tubular shaft.

Figure 4 is a cross section through the machine, taken on line 4--4 ofFigure 1, showing the drive for the screw feed of the carriage.

Figure 5 is a plan view showing the upper part of the mounting frame ofthe drill, taken substantially on line 55 of Figure 1, the power unitand other elements of the drill being omitted. I

Figure 6 is a longitudinal section through the drill with parts shown inelevation, taken on line 66 of Figure 4.

Figure 7 is a longitudinal section through the intermediate part of thedrill taken on line 7-7 of Figure 2, with parts broken away,illustrating a method of mounting an auger in'a chuck at one end of thetubular shaft of the drill. a

Figure 8 is a crosssection throughthe chuck take on line 8-8 of Figure7.

Figure 9 is a section taken on line 9-9 of Figure '5 showing a bearingwhichforms a guide for a lubricant "supplying tube at the end of theframe of the machine.

Figure 10'. is a longitudinal section through a clutch positionedbetween a gear housing of the motor and a reduction gear illustratingthe shift lever connection of the clutch.

Figure 11 is a longitudinal section through the machine showing .amanually actuated trip lever for releasing the clutch operating lever,other parts of the machine being broken away.

Referring now to the drawings wherein like reference characters denotecorresponding parts the improved portable earth drilling tool of thisinvention includes a longitudinally disposed tubular shaft 10 rotatablymounted in bearings 11 of a traveling carriage 12 mounted on a frame andhaving a base plate 13, an engine 'or motor 14, an 'upper plate 15spaced above and parallel to the base plate 13 and on which the engineor motor is mounted, a belt 16 trained over a pulley 17 on'the motorshaft and also over a pulley 18 on the tubular shaft 10 for rotating theshaft by the motor, a belt "19 trained over a 'pulley 20 of a reductiongear operated by the motor and also over a pulley 21 on an internallythreaded sleeve 22 positioned on a longitudinally disposed screw 23 andconnected to the carriage, a pipe 24 connected to the tubular shaft 10by a coupling 25, a drill bit or head 26 carried by the extended end ofthe pipe or tube 24, and a supply tube 27 connected to the opposite endof the tubular shaft 10 by a bell fitting 28 and extended to a reservoirfor water or other fiuid under pressure, as indicated, by the numeral29.

The carriage is mounted whereby the base plate 13 slides longitudinallyon upper edges of vertically'di'sposed legs of angle bars 30 and 31which extend longitudinally of the frame and which are connected byendplates 32 and 33. The base plate 13 is retained imposi- ;tion forsliding on the -,upper ,edg'es ofthelegs'ofthe angle bars by channelbars 34 mountedinside of the angle bars with flanges 35 on the loweredges and the channel bars are secured in position by rivets 36 extendedthrough flanges on upper edges thereof and also through the base plate13. The flanges 35 on the lower edges extend below horizontally disposedarms 37 and 38 of the angle bars 30 and 31 as shown in Figures 3 and 4.

The sleeve 22 is connected to the base plate 13 by a bearing 39 wherebyupon rotation of the sleeve by the belt 19 which is trained over thepulley 21 on the sleeve, the sleeve follows the threads of the screw 23actuating the carriage longitudinally of the machine.

The upper plate 15 is mounted on the base plate 13 by supports 40, upperends of which are secured to the plate 15 by bolts 41 and lower ends ofwhich are secured to the base plate 13 by bolts 42.

The tubular shaft is retained in position in the bearings 11 with a setcollar 43, at one end, and a similar collar 44 at the opposite end andthe pulley 18 is secured in position on the shaft 10 with a set screw 45which is threaded in the hub 46 of the pulley. The extended end of theshaft 10 is provided with a flange 47 to which a similar flange 48 ofthe coupling 25 is connected with bolts 49. The extended end of thecoupling is provided with an internally threaded collar 50 and the pipe24 is threaded into the collar 50 as opposite end of the fitting isprovided with an internally threaded nipple 53 into which the tube 27 isthreaded, also as shown in Figure 6. The extended end of the tube 27 isretained in position with a bearing or guide 54 and the end of the tubeextended through the guide is connected by a coupling 55 to a tube 56that is .secured to a boss 57 on the-reservoir 29. Pressure may beretained in the reservoir with a pump 58that is connected to thereservoir with a connection 59.

The bearing or guide 54, which is mounted on the end plate 33, isprovided with a hinged cap 60 and a depending plate 61 extendeddownwardly from the guide is secured to the end plate 33 with bolts orother fasteners as indicated by the numeral 62. The cap 60 is pivotallyconnected to the base of the bearing with a pin 110, as shown in Figure9, and the parts are connected at the opposite sides with a latch havinga pin 111.

A similar guide 63 that is positioned on .the end plate 32 at theopposite end of the frame and which is provided with a hinged cap 64 ismounted by a depending plate 65 and bolts or other fasteners 66 upon theplate 32. It will be understood that any suitable open ring or othertype of guide may be provided at the ends of the'frame.

The end plate 33 is provided with a socket 67 in which one end of thescrew 23 is secured with a pin 68 and the opposite end of the screw issecured by asimilar pin 69 in a socket 70 on the end plate 32. Thepulley 21 is-secured on the internally threaded bushing 22 with a setscrew 71 and the bushing is secured in a bearing 72 depending from thebase plate 13 with a set collar 73. A similar set collar 74 is providedat the opposite end of the bushing for retaining the pulley 21 inposition. The pulley 20 is secured on a shaft 75 extended from a gearreduction 76 from which a clutch shaft 113 extends and, as shown inFigure 2, the clutch shaft is connected to a countershaft 77 through acoupling 79 and, as shown -in Figure 2, the countershaft extends from agear housing 78 in which a pinion 112 and gears 120 and 121 arepositioned.

The pinion 112 on the motor shaft 119 meshes with the beveled gear 120in the gear housing 78 and the gear 120 meshes with the beveled gear 121on the countershaft 77 whereby the countershaft is directly connected tothe motor; and one end of the countershaft is connected by the belt 16to the tubular shaft 10 and the other by the gear reduction 76 and belt19 to the threaded rod 23.

The clutch 79 is formed with a stationary collar 130 which is secured tothe countershaft 77 with a pin 131 and a sliding collar 132 which issplined to the shaft 113 such as by the splines 133 and the collar 132is actuated by the lever 80, pins 134 of which extend into a groove 135of the collar, as shown in Figure 10.

The end of the counter shaft 77 at the opposite side of the gear housingis provided with a clutch 83 that is actuated by a hand lever 84pivotally mounted on a bracket 85 by a pin 86.

The clutch collar 115 of the clutch 83 is slidable on the shaft 77 andthe lever 84 is provided with a yoke having pins that extend into anannular groove of the clutch collar. The clutch collar 115 is keyed tothe shaft 77 by a key 116 and one end of the clutch collar 115 isprovided with teeth 117 that mesh with notches 118 in one end of the hubof the pulley 17 whereby with the pulley freely rotatable on the shaftthe drill bit is stationary until the clutch elements are engaged by thelever 84.

The counter shaft 77 is driven by the motor 14 through a pinion 112 onthe motor shaft 119, the pinion meshing with a beveled gear 120, in thegear housing 78 and the gear 120 meshing with a beveled gear 121 on theshaft 77. By this means the counter shaft 77 is directly connected tothe motor and one end of the shaft drives the drill bit through thetubular shaft 24 and belt 16 through the clutch 83, and the opposite enddrives the feed sleeve 22 on the screw 23 through the reduction gearunit 76 and belt 19, the reduction gear unit being connected to thecounter shaft 17 through the clutch 79 and shaft 113.

The drill is also provided with stops 87 and 88 which are pivotallymounted on the frame member 31 with pins 89 and 90 respectively, and thestops are provided with handles 91 and 92 by which the engaging portionsthereof may be moved into or out of engagement with ends 93 and 94 ofarm 96 pivotally mounted by pins 97 on bearing 98, and upper ends ofwhich are connected to a link 99 that actuated the clutch lever 80, andthe stops are positioned whereby in forward movement of the drill bit 26the end 93 will engage the stop 87 actuating the lever 80 from theposition shown in full lines in Figure l to the position shown in dottedor broken lines, whereby with the lever 80 pivotally mounted on the pin81 the upper end of the lever will move rearwardly disengaging theclutch 79, the parts being actuated to the position shown by dottedlines 95 in Figure 1.

It will be understood, therefore, that with the clutch lever 80pivotally mounted by the pin 81 in a bearing 82 a projection 94 on thelower end of the lever actuates the lever to the position shown inbroken lines in Figure 1 disengaging the clutch 79 as the projection 94engages the end of stop 88 thereby stopping the machine and as themachine moves in the opposite direction the projection 93 on the lowerend of the arm 96 engages the endof the stop 87 and with the arm 96pivotally mounted by the pin 97 the upper end thereof, being connectedto the lever 80 by the link 99, draws the lower end of the lever 80 tothe left from the position shown in Figure 1, also disengaging theclutch 79.

The drilling operation and also the feeding means stops when the lever80 reaches the broken line position in Figure 1 and with the bell cranklever 92 manually actuated from theposition shown in Figure 1 to theposition shown in Figure 11 the lower end of the lever is releasedwhereby the clutch lever is manually moved --forward1y to engagetheclutch elements.

The emf-93 afar-ms pare-of eanl'arn'f 96* thatfis"'- pivotally mountedwith a pin 97 on a bearing 98 and the upper end of the arm is pivotallyconnected with a link 99 by a pin 100, the opposite end of the linkbeing-pivotally connected to the lower part of the lever 80 with a pin101. By this means the stops maybe set whereby the earriage stops beforethe parts thereof engage the end of the'frame of thedrill.

i In the assemblyv illustrated in-Fi'gures 7 and 8, the coupling 25isreplaced with a chuck-102 in which a shank 103 of a drill or auger 104is secured by adjusting screws 105 and the chuck is provided with aflange 106, similar to the flange 48, whereby the flange is adapted tobe secured to the flange 47 of the tubular shaft with bolts or otherfasteners, as indicated by the numeral 108. In this assembly, asillustrated in Figures 7 and 8, the machine functions as. an earthboring tool drilling only to form openings through a bank or the like,and the valve 122 in the tube 56 which connects the. tube 27 to thereservoir 29 is closed, however, the valve may be opened and waterflushed through the supply tube 27 and tubular shaft 10 to wash materialaway from the outer end of the opening if desired.

With the parts assembled as illustrated in the drawings, the device isadapted to be set up for operation in a pit or opening at the side of astreet, highway, or the like and with a suitable drill bit, such as thebit 26, secured on the end of a pipe 24, the engine is started wherebythe drill bit is fed into soil or other material below a street orhighway with the pipe 24 following the drill head or bit until the pipeextends completely through the street or highway. I It will beunderstood that sections of pipe may be added to the pipe 24 and thedrilling operation continued through the foundation of a street orhighway of substantially any width. With the cutting edges of the drillbit formed of carbide or other similar material, the device is adaptedto cut through stone, rock, cement or other foundations and with thedevice adapted to cut straight through deflection and binding in theparts are substantially eliminated.

The machine is adapted to install a pipe, such as the pipe 24, or, afterthe pipe is forced through the foundation of a street or highway, pipeunits of different materials or the like may readily be drawn throughthe foundation.

After drilling an opening or installing a section of pipe therein thedrill is withdrawn by shifting the gears in the gear housing 76 by thelever 109 whereby a gear 136 keyed on the shaft 75 on which the gear 137is positioned meshes with a back gear 138 on an idler shaft 139. Thegear 138 meshes with a gear 140 on the shaft 113 on which the gear 141that meshes with the gear 137 is positioned. The gears 136 and 137 arekeyed to the shaft 75 and these gears are shifted to disengage the gear137 from the gear 141 and engage the gear 136 with the back gear 138 bya yoke 142 actuated by the lever 109 that is pivotally mounted in thegear housing by apin 143.

By this means a row of buildings, such as new residences, may readily beprovided with service pipes with the machine set up from one building toanother and by this means service pipes for a group of buildings may berun through the foundation of a street or highway in a comparativelyshort time.

With the parts connected, particularly as illustrated in Figure 6, waterand other fluid under pressure forced through the tubular shaft and pipe24 to the drill head flushes material cut by the drill bit through areturn passage 123 around the pipe or tube.

It will be understood that other modifications, within the scope of theappended claims, may be made in the design and arrangement of the partswithout departing .from the spirit of the invention.

What is claimed is: 1, In an earth drilling tool, the combination whichcomprises an elongated frame having spaced parallelhorizontallydisposed' rails connected at the'ends with end plates, a stationaryscrew parallel-to the rails and mounted in said end plates, a carriageslidably mounted on the rails and positioned to travel longitudinally ofthe frame thereon, a power unit mounted on the carriage, an internallythreaded sleeve threaded on the screw, means for connecting the sleeveto the carriage whereby rotation of the sleeve on the screw moves thecarriage, means for rotating the internally threaded sleeve by the powerunit of the carriage for sliding the carriage longitudinally of theframe, a tubular shaft rotatably mounted in the carriage and positionedlongitudinally thereof, guides positioned at opposite ends of the frameand aligned with the tubular shaft, a pipe connected to one end of thetubular shaft and extended through the guide at one end of the frame, adrill head carried by an extended end of the pipe, means for rotatingthe tubular shaft and pipe by the power unit of the carriage, means forstopping the rotation of the internally threaded sleeve for halting thetravel of the carriage, and means for supplying fluid under pressurethrough the tubular shaft, pipe, and drill head.

2. In an earth drilling tool, the combination which comprises a framehaving spaced parallel horizontally disposed rails connected at the endswith end plates, a stationary screw parallel to the rails and mounted insaid end plates of the frame, a carriage slidably mounted on the railsand positioned to travel longitudinally of the frame, a motor mounted onthe carriage, a reduction gear unit also mounted on the carriage, amanually actuated clutch positioned between the motor and reduction gearunit, an internally threaded sleeve mounted to rotate on the screw,means for connecting the sleeve to the carriage whereby rotation of thesleeve moves the carriage, transmission means for rotating theinternally threaded sleeve by the reduction gear unit, a tubular shaftrotatably mounted in the carriage and extended longitudinally thereof,guides positioned at opposite ends of the frame and aligned with thetubular shaft, a pipe connected to one end of the tubular shaft andextended through the guide at one end of the frame, a drill head carriedby the extended end of the pipe, means for rotating the tubular shaft,pipe, and drill head by the motor, a manually actuated clutch positionedbetween the motor and tubular shaft rotating elements, stops mounted inthe frame and spaced from ends thereof, the clutch positioned betweenthe motor and reduction gear unit having an extended lower endpositioned to engage said stops for actuating the clutch to release thedrive to the internally threaded sleeve as the carriage approaches anend of the frame, and means for supplying fluid under pressure throughthe tubular shaft and pipe to the drill head.

3. In an earth drilling tool, the combination which comprises a framehaving spaced parallel horizontally disposed rails connected at the endswith end plates, a stationary screw parallel to the rails and mounted insaid end plates of the frame, a carriage slidably mounted on the railsand positioned to travel longitudinally of the frame, a motor mounted onthe carriage, a reduction gear unit also mounted on the carriage, amanually actuated clutch positioned between the motor and reduction'gear unit, an internally threaded sleeve mounted to rotate on thescrew, means for connecting the sleeve to the carriage whereby rotationof the sleeve moves the carriage, trans mission means for rotating theinternally threaded sleeve by the reduction gear unit, a tubular shaftrotatably mounted in the carriage and extended longitudinally there of,guides positioned at opposite ends of the frame and aligned with thetubular shaft, a pipe connected to one end of the tubular shaft andextended through the guide at one end of the frame, a drill head carriedby the extended end of the pipe, means for rotating the tubular shaft,pipe, and drill head by the motor, a manually actuated clutch positionedbetween the motor and tubular shaft rotating elements, stops mounted inthe frame and spaced from ends thereof, the clutch positioned betweenthe motor and reduction gear unit having an extended lower endpositioned to engage said stops for actuating the clutch to release thedrive to the internally threaded sleeve as the carriage approaches anend of the frame,

and a tube extended from the end of the tubular shaft apposite to theend from which the pipe extends through the guide on the end of theframe for supplying fluid under pressure through the tubular shaft andpipe to the drill head.

8 Reference! Cited in the filo of this pitent UNITED STATES PATENTS

